Chapter 1

Rebecca clutched the hem of her shirt and forced a smile. She then mustered the courage to explain herself. She asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Shaw Senior, the arranged marriage between the Shaws and the Underwoods doesn't necessarily have to be with someone of Brandon, Yves, and Harvey's age, does it? "None of them like me, so I don't want to force them anymore. I'm begging you, Mrs. Shaw Senior. Please ask if Mr. Frank is willing to marry me!" Rebecca's gaze was pleading. Upon noticing her gaze, Irene exhaled deeply. She exchanged a glance with Adam Shaw before slowly saying, "Frank is currently out on an overseas business trip. I'll have to call to check with him. Don't fret, Rebecca." Unease churned in Rebecca's chest. Her heart leaped into her throat as the call connected. "Hello, Mom?" Frank's deep voice came through the call. The other end of the line fell silent after Irene briefly explained the situation. The short wait had been agonizing. Rebecca felt her mind go blank, and she could barely make out what was being said. After a while, Irene smiled softly and nodded. "Frank has agreed to the arranged marriage. If that's the case, let's set the wedding date as soon as possible!" Rebecca's heart leaped. Moments later, she broke into a joyful smile and nodded vigorously. … Rebecca's heart remained racing throughout her journey back. She felt beyond relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down before calling her parents. "Mom, Dad, my arranged marriage partner has been changed to Mr. Frank Shaw." On the other end of the line, Collin Underwood and Nancy Hearth were surprised to hear the news. They quickly composed themselves and calmly replied, "That's for the best. Frank holds more power and influence than the three Shaw brothers. Let us know once the wedding date is set. We'll come back to attend the wedding." The line soon went dead, leaving Rebecca alone in the empty house. Her parents never cared for her, placing more importance on their company's interests instead. They were constantly away for business trips, and she had long grown used to their strictly businesslike tone. The Shaws and the Underwoods were long-standing family friends, as well as the two most powerful families in Jorvex. They were bound by an arranged marriage that had been decided generations ago to ensure a powerful alliance. Rebecca had no way to resist it. As the only daughter in the Underwood family who was of age, she could only accept her fate. She grew up with Brandon Shaw, Yves Shaw, and Harvey Shaw. Since young, her parents had told her that one day she would marry one of them. As such, Rebecca tried her best to get close to them, to treat them well, and to make them like her a little more. She'd even risked her life for them during the devastating earthquake that made national headlines five years ago, leaving her covered in injuries, barely clinging to life. But Brandon, Yves, and Harvey remained indifferent to Rebecca, as the person they liked was Sally Clarke, the Shaw family housekeeper's daughter. As such, none of them were willing to marry her. They hated the arranged marriage that was forced on them. The absurd thing was that they claimed to like Sally because she'd saved them during the earthquake—when in reality, Rebecca was the one who saved them. The time for her engagement was nearing as she approached the age of 24. Despite her constant effort of trying to tell them the truth, they refused to believe her. They even grew to despise her even more thanks to Sally's manipulation. Just as Rebecca sank into her despair, Brandon, the eldest Shaw brother, texted her. "There is no escaping this engagement. I can bear the responsibility of marrying you. See you at the city hall." Delighted, she grabbed her ID and stood waiting outside the city hall. She was out in the rain for the entire day, but he was nowhere to be seen. Rebecca ran a high fever the rest of the day. The next day, she received a call from Yves, the second Shaw brother. "I heard you've waited for Brandon for a whole day yesterday, Rebecca. You're that desperate to get married, huh? How about this, I'll marry you if you manage to find the pair of rings I buried somewhere in the garden," he said. Rebecca believed him and searched for them high and low all day. She ended up breaking all her nails, only to realize that he had also tricked her. On the third day, Harvey, the youngest Shaw brother, invited her to watch a meteor shower in the mountains. But as soon as she reached the top, he excused himself, leaving her alone on the mountaintop with no transportation back. Rebecca dragged her battered body down the mountain and went to look for them. However, she heard them saying, "We were just messing with her. Did she really think we'd actually marry her? "She deliberately caused Sally to slip and get hurt in the rain that day. We were just helping Sally to vent her anger." She completely lost all hope after hearing that. Rebecca walked home in the rain and pondered it for the entire night. Finally, she understood something. While she couldn't escape the engagement, she could always change her partner. Now, she no longer had to swallow her pride for their sake. … The moment Rebecca returned home, she heard footsteps coming from outside. Brandon barged in with a darkened expression. "I've told you countless times that I don't want to marry you, Rebecca. Yet you even tried to force yourself on us, going to our house to discuss the marriage. Are you really that desperate to get married?" Yves followed behind him. His gaze was laced with clear irritation as he spoke harshly, "I've also said this many times—I like Sally. I've never seen a woman as shameless as you!" Harvey frowned. Annoyance flashed across his unruly features as he asked, "So who exactly did you pick among the three of us?" Rebecca stared at the three similar yet utterly different faces before her. She coldly spat, "I didn't pick any of you." Harvey's brows knitted together. "What do you mean? The three of us are the only ones in the Shaw family who are of age. Who else can you pick if not us?" Yves said harshly, "You've been so eager to marry us since young, and now you're saying that you didn't pick any of us? What exactly are you up to again this time?" "No matter what tricks you have up your sleeve, we won't like you!" Brandon massaged his temples, looking irritated. Rebecca took a deep breath. "Who said I could only pick someone of my age? The one I picked was—" Before she could continue, a bodyguard rushed over in a hurry. "Bad news, Mr. Shaws! After Sally heard that you guys are getting engaged soon, she… she… committed suicide!" Brandon, Yves, and Harvey's expressions fell as soon as they heard the news. They immediately rushed out. Brandon suddenly paused and turned around. His sharp gaze was full of contempt when he said, "Look what you've done, Rebecca! If you pick me, I'll definitely stand you up on the day of the marriage and make you the laughingstock of the entire city!" Yves had the same cold glare as he spoke icily, "If you dare to choose me, I'll dress up a dog as the groom to exchange vows with you on the wedding day!" Harvey spat angrily, "You'd better not pick me. Otherwise, I will wreck the wedding myself—every single time! Sally is the only one we like. Even if you force us to marry you, we won't acknowledge you!" The three of them then ran out one after another. Rebecca merely scoffed as she looked at their anxious backs hurrying away. Her marriage partner had already been set. From now on, she would only be known as their uncle's wife.